Gal Wu Mal:

Maligaspe's latest ballet

By Thulasi MUTTULINGAM

If you like to dance? Like Music? Like theatre? Well, be at the Elphinstone theatre, Maradana at 6.30 pm today.

Award winning ballet dance master and choreographer Nilan Maligaspe is putting on another of his productions; or rather two of his productions.

The first one, Pissu Newei Heti is about two people living in a world of their own, a reality of their own. Nilan calls it one of his experiments and says that it is more theatre than ballet. He calls it modern Sri Lankan Ballet.The second one, Gal Wu Mal, is more of a classical ballet production and tells the story of two statues; the message is that statues too have feelings, sometimes more than people.

Scenes from Gal Wu Mal

This is Nilan's fourth major production. All his previous three, Kada Tholu Nimeshaya (1998), Ruhiru Pathana Kirula (2003) and Mada Ahimiwa Etha (2005) won him State awards.

A dedicated dancer/choreographer with his own dance academy Arpeggio, he coaches students free of charge.

"I learned Ballet from George Malcolm, a very benevolent American and nature lover who was in this country for five years. He taught me and I do the same to all my students. Anyone at all interested in learning from me are welcome, I want to pass on my skills and talent." Nilan had already made a name for himself as a disco dancer by the time he met Malcolm. He is 40 years old and has been in the dance field for more than 25 years.

Versatile and dedicated to his art, he has undergone training in Drama, Cinema and Teledrama as well as script writing, art direction, lighting, camera skills, make-up and production.

He also moonlights as a writer/travel photographer for the Daily Mirror/ TV Times in between productions.

Nilan said he might consider reproducing the show. Go to the Elphinstone Theatre if you have the evening free and are fond of ballet cum theatre.